Home Office intensifies supervision over student visas

The Border Agency UK has implemented the system on a student visa and intends thereby ending the remaining gaps. This means, the action that ensures that those who have no right to remain in the UK are identified and forced to leave the country must now be taken on a more vigorous. Until then, the agency considered the students in non-compliance with the conditions of their visa as a low priority compared to cases of illegal immigrants, and therefore was not attentive to the case of students.

The National Audit Office published a report in April on the implementation of Tier 4, whereby students from countries outside the European Economic Area can study in the UK. The report found that the Border Agency failed on executing the application of student visa and that these failures were predictable and could have been avoided. Under the previous system of immigration for students, there was no limit to the number of students that an education institution can apply and students were free to change course in college if they wanted without notifying the Home Office. Under the new system, each student must be sponsored by an educational institution authorized by the agency and cannot change without notifying the same college.

Faculty sponsors are responsible for judging the intentions of students to study. According to the Border Agency, based on college enrollment rates and changes in patterns of implementation in its first year of operation, between 40,000 and 50,000 people may have entered the UK through Tier 4 to work instead of studying. Of this total, 2,700 students have been identified since April 1, 2009, but the agency has been slow to withdraw the license of the students to remain in the United Kingdom where it has reason to do so. This means that in many cases, inspection teams have been unable to arrest the students who are working instead of attending college.

The Border Agency has also had problems to ensure that people leave the UK when their applications for visa extension were refused. Given all that, the new surveillance system will rely on a specialized company to try to locate illegal immigrants under the Tier 4 visa. The agency currently listed 812 people. In one week the company specialized already found a quarter of these cases.

If you have a student visa and have any doubt, LondonHelp4U can help. With a team of immigration consultants duly registered and recognized by the British government, we obtained 100% success in our visa applications in 2011. Trust your future who knows what they do!

Family visa also undergo changes

The Border Agency has recently published a clause delegating the removal of the full right of appeal to those who apply to enter the UK as a visitor family. Still subject to parliamentary approval, this change is due to come into force in 2014. Applicants may not continue to appeal for reasons limited to human rights or race discrimination.

In June 2012, will also be introduced legislation that would limit the definitions of family and sponsor appeals to the family visit visa. These changes affect only those candidates who have been refused a visa. The other visitor visas remain unchanged. Any questions, please contact LondonHelp4U. Our consulting team is fully prepared to help.